


Open Sky

by Thewordlover



Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Gen, Memories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-23
Updated: 2012-05-23
Packaged: 2017-11-05 21:46:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/411336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thewordlover/pseuds/Thewordlover
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rue's first night in the arena.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Open Sky

The first night in the arena, Rue settled in a tree with her meager supplies, exhausted yet determined. She had made it through the first day. No one had caught her. Maybe, just maybe, she could survive this. She could make her parents, her district, proud.

After the images of the newly dead appeared in the sky, darkness returned, and Rue looked out into the night. Between the leaves of the maple tree, stars were visible. She smiled slightly at their faint glow, and was pushed back into memories of home.

Her father awakened her from a cocoon of blankets, and they headed out past Mom and the little ones into the frosty night. Stealing past the neighbors’, they headed for the back fields. There, they settled in, leaning against the green pumpkins and craning their necks back to take in the sky. He pointed out all the constellations he knew, told her stories about them so old even he wasn’t sure who had thought of them first. They sang a little, and Rue felt so alive and warm, there with her father’s attention and love fixed just on her, not scattered. They stayed out until the approaching sunrise made the stars begin to fade, and then walked together back home.

Stars covered this sky, too, but the forest obscured her view, and it was impossible to recognize any patterns. Rue squinted through dark leaves and tried to see, but soon weariness settled in. Her eyelids grew heavy, and she slipped into a wary sleep. In her dreams, Father came to the tree to walk her home. Home to her family, to the fields and their skies, away from the fear of murderous children. They would lean against the pumpkins and breathe in the real sky.


End file.
